4:2 Reaiah son of Shobal became father of Jahath, and Jahath father of Ahumai and Lahad. These are the Zorathite clans.

Hur

4:3 These are Abi-etam, Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash, whose sister was called Hazzelelponi.

4:4 Penuel became father of Gedor, Ezer father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the first-born of Ephrathah, father of Bethlehem.

Ashhur

4:5 Ashhur, father of Tekoa, had two wives: Helah and Naarah.

4:6 Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, the Timnites, and the Ahashtarites. These are the sons of Naarah.

4:7 Sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan.

4:8 Koz became father of Anub, Hazzobebah and the clans of Aharhel son of Harum.

4:9 Jabez won himself more honour than his brothers. His mother gave him the name Jabez, ‘because’ she said ‘in distress I gave birth to him’.

4:10 Jabez called on the God of Israel. ‘If you truly bless me,’ he said ‘you will extend my lands, your hand will be with me, you will keep harm away and my distress will cease.’ God granted him what he had asked.

Caleb

4:11 Chelub, Shuhah’s brother, became father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.

4:12 Eshton became father of Bethrapha, Paseah and Tehinnah father of Irnahash, brother of Eselon the Kenizzite. These are the men of Recah.

4:13 Sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. Sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai,

4:14 who became father of Ophrah. Seraiah became father of Joab, father of Geharashim-and they were in fact craftsmen.[*a]

4:15 Sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah and Naam. Sons of Elah: Kenaz.

4:16 Sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiri-a, Asarel.

4:17 Sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, Jalon. Then she conceived Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa,

4:18 whose Judaean wife gave birth to Jered father of Gedor, Heber father of Soco, and Jekuthiel, father of Zanoah. These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh whom Mered married.

4:19 The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham father of Keilah the Garmite and of Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

4:38 These men here named came with their clans and families; they grew in number and spread.

4:39 In search of pasture for their flocks they travelled from the Gerar pass to the eastern end of the valley,

4:40 where they found good, fat pasture; the land was broad, untroubled, peaceful. Hamites[*b] had been living there before them.

4:41 The Simeonites, registered by name, arrived there in the time of Hezekiah king of Judah; they overran their tents and the dwellings they found there. They put them under a ban still in force today and settled in their place, since there was pasturage for their flocks.

4:42 Some of them, belonging to the sons of Simeon, reached Mount Seir: five hundred men led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

4:43 They defeated the surviving fugitives of Amalek and still live there today.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 5

E. THE TRANSJORDANIAN TRIBES

Reuben

5:1 Sons of Reuben, first-born of Israel. He was indeed the first-born but, when he violated his father’s couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son Israel. The group of Reuben forfeited the birthright

5:2 because Judah proved more powerful than his brothers-a prince having come from him – with Joseph having the birthright.

5:16 They had settled in Gilead, in Bashan and its dependencies, as well as throughout the pasturages of Sharon to their furthest limit.

5:17 They sorted themselves into their various groups in the days of Jotham king of Judah.

5:18 The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, the half-tribe of Manasseh, a number of their fighting men, men who carried shield and spear and could handle the bow, men used to warfare, forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty of them fit for service,

5:19 waged war against the Hagrites, against Jetur, Naphish and Nodab.

5:20 God came to their help against them, and the Hagrites with all their allies fell into their hands, for they had called on God as they fought, and because they put their trust in him their prayer was heard.

5:21 They carried off of the Hagrites’ livestock fifty thousand camels, two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two thousand donkeys and a hundred thousand people,

5:22 for, God directing the battle, the greater part had been killed. And they settled in what had been Hagrite territory until the exile.

The half-tribe of Manasseh

5:23 The sons of the half-tribe of Manasseh settled in the country between Bashan and Baal-hermon, Senir and Mount Hermon. They were numerous.

5:24 These are the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, Jahdiel. These were stout fighting men, men of renown, heads of their families.

5:25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land whom God had destroyed before them.

5:26 So the God of Israel roused the hostility of Pul[*b] king of Assyria and of Tiglathpileser king of Assyria. He deported Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, taking them off to Halah near Habor and the river Gozan. They are still there today.

F. LEVI

The lineage of the high priests

5:27 Sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath and Merari.

5:28 Sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, Uzziel.

5:29 Children of Amram: Aaron, Moses and Miriam. Sons of Aaron: Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

5:30 Eleazar became father of Phinehas, Phinehas father of Abishua,

5:31 Abishua father of Bukki, Bukki father of Uzzi.

5:32 Uzzi father of Zerahiah, Zerahiah father of Meraioth,

5:33 Meraioth father of Amariah, Amariah father of Ahitub,

5:34 Ahitub father of Zadok, Zadok father of Ahimaaz.

5:35 Ahimaaz father of Azariah, Azariah father of Johanan,

5:36 Johanan father of Azariah. It was he who officiated as priest in the Temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem.

5:37 Azariah became father of Amariah, Amariah father of Ahitub,

5:38 Ahitub father of Zadok, Zadok father of Shallum,

5:39 Shallum father of Hilkiah, Hilkiah father of Azariah,

5:40 Azariah father of Seraiah, Seraiah father of Jehozadak,

5:41 and Jehozadak had to go into exile when, at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, Yahweh exiled Judah and Jerusalem.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 6

The line of Levi

6:1 Sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath and Merari.

6:2 These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei.

6:3 Sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, Uzziel.

6:4 Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of Levi grouped according to their fathers.

6:5 For Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son,

6:6 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son.

6:7 Sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,

6:8 Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son,

6:9 Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, Shaul his son.

6:10 Sons of Elkanah: Amasai and Ahimoth.

6:11 Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son,

6:12 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son.

6:13 Sons of Elkanah: Samuel his first-born, the second Abijah.

6:14 Sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son,

6:15 Shimei his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.

The cantors

6:16 These are the men David nominated to lead the singing in the Temple of Yahweh when the ark had come to rest there.

6:17 They were responsible for the singing before the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting until Solomon had built the Temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem, and in accordance with the rules laid down for them they did their office.

6:18 These are the men who were in office, and their sons: Of the sons of Kohath: Heman the cantor, the son of Joel, son of Samuel,

6:19 son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah,

6:20 son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasai,

6:21 son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah,

6:22 son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah,

6:23 son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel.

6:24 His brother Asaph stood at his right hand: Asaph son of Berechiah, son of Shimea,

6:25 son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah,

6:26 son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah,

6:27 son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei,

6:28 son of Jahath, son of Gershom, son of Levi.

6:29 At the left hand, the sons of Merari: Ethan son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch,

6:30 son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah,

6:31 son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer,

6:32 son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi.

The other Levites

6:33 Their brothers the Levites were completely dedicated to the service of the tabernacle of the Temple of Yahweh.

6:34 Aaron and his sons burned the offerings on the altar of holocaust and on the altar of incense; they were concerned exclusively with the most holy things and with the ritual of atonement for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had laid down.

6:35 These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son,

6:36 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son,

6:37 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,

6:38 Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.

Where these lived

a. The Aaronitic priests

6:39 These are the places they lived in, according to the boundaries of their settlements: To the sons of Aaron of the Kohath clan (for to these the lot fell)

6:40 they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and the pasture lands adjoining.

6:41 The fields and villages of this town they gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh,

6:42 but to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge, Hebron, Libnah with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands,

6:43 Hilen, Debir,

6:44 Ashan, Beth-shemesh each with its pasture lands.

6:45 From the tribe of Benjamin they gave Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth, each with its pasture lands. In all, their clans took in thirteen towns.

b. Other Levites

6:46 The remaining sons of Kohath were allotted ten towns taken from the clans of the tribe, from the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh.

6:47 The sons of Gershom and their clans were allotted thirteen towns taken from the tribe of Issachar, the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

6:48 The sons of Merari and their clans were allotted twelve towns taken from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the tribe of Zebulun.

6:49 The sons of Israel gave these towns with their pasture lands to the Levites.

6:50 Also from the tribes of the sons of Judah, the sons of Benjamin and the sons of Simeon, they allotted the towns to which they gave their names.

6:51 Towns from the tribe of Ephraim also were assigned to the territory of some clans of the sons of Kohath.

6:52 They were given the following cities of refuge: Shechem with its pasture lands in the highlands of Ephraim, together with Gezer and its pasture lands,

6:53 Jokmeam, Beth-horon,

6:54 Aijalon and Gath-rimmon, each with its pasture lands,

6:55 and from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner and Bileam, each with its pasture lands. This for the clan of the remaining sons of Kohath.

6:56 The sons of Gershom were given, from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan, and Ashtaroth, each with its pasture lands;

6:57 from the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh, Daberath,

6:58 Ramoth, Anem, each with its pasture lands;

6:59 from the tribe of Asher: Mashal, Abdon,

6:60 Hukok, Rehob, each with its pasture lands;

6:61 from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, Kiriathaim, each with its pasture lands.

6:62 To the remainder of the sons of Merari: from the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono, Tabor, each with its pasture lands;

6:63 beyond the Jordan near Jericho, east of Jordan, from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah,

6:64 Kedemoth, Mephaath, each with its pasture lands;

6:65 from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim,

6:66 Heshbon, Jazer, each with its pasture lands.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 7

G. THE NORTHERN TRIBES

Issachar

7:1 For the sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, Shimron: four.

7:2 Sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, Shemuel, heads of the families of Tola. In the time of David these numbered twenty-two thousand six hundred stout fighting men, grouped according to their kinship.

7:21 Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son Ezer and Elead. The men of Gath killed them because they had come down to raid their cattle.

7:22 Ephraim their father mourned long for them and his brothers came to comfort him.

7:23 Then Ephraim went to his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son whom she called Beriah, ‘because’ she said ‘in my house one is in misfortune.'[*a]

7:24 He had a daughter, Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah.

7:25 Rephah his son, Shuthelah his son, Tahan his son,

7:26 Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

7:27 Nun his son, Joshua his son.

7:28 They had land and settlements in Bethel and its outlying towns, in Naaran to the east, in Gezer and its outlying towns to the west, Shechem and its outlying towns, as far as Ayyah and its outlying towns.

7:29 Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, Dor, each with its outlying towns, were in the hands of the sons of Manasseh. There lived the sons of Joseph son of Israel.

Asher

7:30 Sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah; their sister Serah.

7:31 Sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. He was the father of Birzaith.

7:32 Heber became father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham and their sister Shua.

7:33 Sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal and Ashvath. These are the sons of Japhlet.

7:34 Sons of Shomer his brother: Rohgah, Hubbah and Aram.

7:35 Sons of Helem his brother: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal.

7:36 Sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri and Imrah,

7:37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran and Beerah.

7:38 Sons of Ithran: Jephunneh, Pispa, Ara.

7:39 Sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, Rizia.

7:40 All these were sons of Asher, heads of families, stout fighting men; when numbered, they formed a related group of twenty-six thousand men for active service.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 8

H. BENJAMIN AND JERUSALEM

The line of Benjamin[*a]

8:1 Benjamin became father of Bela, his first-born, Ashbel second, Ahiram third,

8:2 Nohah fourth, Rapha fifth.

8:3 Bela had sons: Addar, Gera father of Ehud,

8:4 Abishua, Naaman and Ahoah,

8:5 Gera, Shephuphan and Huram.

In Geba

8:6 These are the sons of Ehud. They were heads of families of the inhabitants of Geba and led them into exile at Manahath:

8:7 Naaman, Ahijah and Gera. It was he who led them into exile; he became the father of Uzza and Ahihud.

In Moab

8:8 He became father of Shaharaim in the plains of Moab after he had dismissed his wives, Hushim and Baara.

8:9 By his new wife he had sons: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam,

8:10 Jeuz, Sachia, Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families.

In Ono and Lud

8:11 By Hushim he had sons: Abitub and Elpaal.

8:12 Sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham and Shemed: it was he who built Ono, and Lud with its outlying towns.

In Aijalon

8:13 Beriah and Shema. They were heads of families of the inhabitants of Aijalon and put the inhabitants of Gath to flight.

8:14 His brother: Shashak.

In Jerusalem[*b]

Jeremoth,

8:15 Zebadiah, Arad, Eder,

8:16 Michael, Ishpah, Joha were sons of Beriah.

8:17 Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Haber,

8:18 Ishmerai, Izliah, Jobab were sons of Elpaal.

8:19 Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi,

8:20 Elioenai, Zille-thai, Eliel,

8:21 Adaiah, Beraiah, Shimrath were sons of Shimei.

8:22 Ishpan, Eber, Eliel,

8:23 Abdon, Zichri, Hanan,

8:24 Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah,

8:25 Iphdeiah, Penuel were sons of Shashak.

8:26 Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah,

8:27 Jaareshaiah, Elijah, Zichri were sons of Jeroham.

8:28 These were the heads of families, grouped according to their kinship. They lived in Jerusalem.

In Gibeon

8:29 At Gibeon lived Abi-gibeon, whose wife was called Maacah.

8:30 His first-born son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

8:31 Gedor, Ahio, Zecher

8:32 and Mikloth who became father of Shimeah. These also, near their kinsmen, lived with their kinsmen in Jerusalem.

Saul and his family

8:33 Ner became father of Kish, Kish father of Saul, Saul father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal.

8:34 Son of Jonathan: Meribbaal. Meribbaal became father of Micah.

8:35 Sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, Ahaz.

8:36 Ahaz became father of Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri. Zimri became father of Moza,

8:37 Moza father of Binea. Raphah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

8:38 Azel had six sons, whose names were these: Azrikam, his first-born, then Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, Hanan. All these were sons of Azel.

9:4 Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, one of the sons of Perez son of Judah.

9:5 Of the Shilonites: Asaiah, the first-born, and his sons.

9:6 Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel. Also their kinsmen: six hundred and ninety.

9:7 Of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah;

9:8 Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, son of Michri; Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah.

9:9 They had nine hundred and fifty-six kinsmen, grouped according to their kinship. All these men were heads, each of his family.

9:10 Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin,

9:11 Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, ruler of the house of God.

9:12 Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer.

9:13 They had kinsmen, heads of families, one thousand seven hundred and sixty stout fighting men who undertook the duties of the Temple of God.

9:14 Of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah of the sons of Merari,

9:15 Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, Mattaniah son of Mica, son is of Zichri, son of Asaph,

9:16 Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

9:17 The keepers of the gate: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their kinsmen. Shallum, their head,

9:18 still keeps station at the royal gate, to the east. These were the gatekeepers of the camps of the Levites.

9:19 Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, with his brother Korahites, of the same family, were responsible for the liturgical service; they were keepers of the threshold for the Tent, as their fathers, in charge of the camp of Yahweh, had guarded the entrance to it.

9:20 At one time, Phinehas son of Eleazar had ruled them (may Yahweh be with him!).

9:21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was keeper of the gate at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

9:22 All the keepers of the gate at the thresholds were picked men; there were two hundred and twelve of them. They were grouped by relationship in their various villages. These were confirmed in office by David and Samuel the seer because of their loyalty.

9:23 They and their sons had the guardianship of the gates of the Temple of Yahweh, the house of the Tent.[*a]

9:24 On the four sides stood the keepers of the gate, east, west, north, and south.

9:25 Their kinsmen in their villages would come to join them for a week from time to time,

9:26 since the four head gatekeepers themselves lived there permanently. They were the Levites responsible for the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.

9:27 They spent the night in the precincts of the house of God, their duties being to guard it and open it every morning.

9:28 Some of them were responsible for the furnishings of worship; they counted them whenever they put them away and took them out.

9:29 Certain others were in charge of the furniture and all the sacred furnishings, the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, the spices,

9:30 while those who prepared the mixture for the spices were priests.

9:31 One of the Levites, Mattithiah – he was the first-born of Shallum the Korahite – was, because of his loyalty, made responsible for making the offerings that were baked on the pan.

9:32 Some of their kinsmen the Kohathites were responsible for the loaves to be set out in rows sabbath by sabbath.

9:33 These are the cantors, heads of the levitical families. When free from service they lived in the Temple chambers, because they were on duty day and night.

9:34 These were the heads of the levitical families, grouped according to their kinship. These heads lived in Jerusalem.

I. SAUL, DAVID’S PREDECESSOR

The ancestors of Saul

9:35 At Gibeon lived Abi-gibeon and Jeiel, whose wife was called Maacah.

9:36 His first-born son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

9:37 Zechariah and Mikloth.

9:38 Mikloth became father of Shimeam. These also, near their kinsmen, lived with their kinsmen in Jerusalem.

9:39 Ner became father of Kish, Kish father of Saul, Saul father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal.

9:40 Son of Jonathan: Meribaal. Meribaal became father of Micah.

9:41 Sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea.

9:42 Ahaz became father of Jarah, Jarah father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri; Zimri became father of Moza,

9:43 Moza father of Binea. Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

9:44 Azel had six sons; their names were these: Azrikam, his first-born, then Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 10

The death of Saul

10:1 The Philistines made war on Israel, and the Israelites fled from the Philistines and were slaughtered on Mount Gilboa.

10:2 The Philistines pressed Saul and his sons hard and killed Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchi – shua, the sons of Saul.

10:3 The fighting grew heavy about Saul; the bowmen took him off his guard, so that he fell wounded by the bowmen.

10:4 Then Saul said to his armour-bearer, ‘Draw your sword and run me through with it. I do not want these uncircumcised men to come and gloat over me’. But his armour-bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

10:5 His armour-bearer, seeing that Saul was dead, fell on his sword too and died with him.

10:6 And so Saul died, he and his three sons and all his House together.

10:7 When all the Israelites who were in the valley saw that the men of Israel had taken to flight and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled away. The Philistines then came in and occupied them.

10:8 When the Philistines came on the following day to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons lying on Mount Gilboa.

10:9 They stripped him and, taking his head and his armour, had them carried round the land of the Philistines to proclaim the good news to their idols and their people.

10:10 They placed his armour in the temple of their god, but his head they nailed up in the temple of Dagon.

10:11 When all the inhabitants of Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,

10:12 all the warriors set off; and they took the bodies of Saul and his sons away and, bringing them to Jabesh, they buried their bones under the tamarisk of Jabesh; and they fasted for seven days.

10:13 Saul died because he had shown himself unfaithful to Yahweh: he had not kept the word of Yahweh; he had even questioned and consulted a necromancer.

10:14 He had not consulted Yahweh, who therefore put him to death and transferred the monarchy to David son of Jesse.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 11

II. DAVID, FOUNDER OF THE TEMPLE WORSHIP

A. DAVID THE KING

David is anointed king

11:1 All the tribes of Israel then rallied to David at Hebron. ‘Look,’ they said ‘we are your own flesh and blood.

11:2 In days past when Saul was our king, it was you who led Israel in all their exploits; and Yahweh your God said to you, “You are the man who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you shall be the leader of my people Israel”.’

11:3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a pact with them at Hebron in the presence of Yahweh, and they anointed David king of Israel, in accordance with the word of Yahweh through Samuel.

The capture of Jerusalem

11:4 David with all Israel marched on Jerusalem (that is to say, Jebus); the inhabitants of the country were Jebusites.

11:5 The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, ‘You will not get in here’. But David captured the fortress of Zion, that is, the Citadel of David.

11:6 David said, ‘The first to strike down a Jebusite shall become leader and commander’. Joab son of Zeruiah was first to go up, and became leader.

11:7 David went to live in the fortress, and that is how it came to be called the Citadel of David.

11:8 He then built a wall round the city, and the Millo as well as the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city.

11:9 David grew greater and greater, and Yahweh Sabaoth was with him.

David’s champions

11:10 These are the principal champions of David, those who in his reign grew in power with him and who, with all Israel, had made him king in accordance with the word of Yahweh concerning Israel.

11:11 This is the roll of David’s champions: Jashobeam the Hachmonite, leader of the Thirty; it was he who wielded his battle-axe against three hundred whom he killed at one time.

11:12 After him there was Eleazar son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three champions.

11:13 He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines mustered for battle there. There was a field full of barley there; the army took flight before the Philistines,

11:14 but they positioned themselves in the middle of the field, defended it and struck down the Philistines. So Yahweh brought about a great victory.

11:15 Three out of the Thirty went down to David at the rock near the Cave of Adullam while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of the Rephaim.

11:16 David was then in the stronghold and there was a Philistine garrison in Bethlehem.

11:17 ‘Oh’ David sighed ‘if someone would fetch me a drink of water from the well that stands by the gate at Bethlehem!’

11:18 At this the three champions, forcing their way through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well that stands by the gate of Bethlehem and, bringing it away, presented it to David. But David would drink none of it and poured it out as a libation to Yahweh.

11:19 ‘God keep me’ he said ‘from doing this! Am I to drink the blood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.’ And so he would not drink. Such were the deeds of the three champions.

11:20 Abishai, the brother of Joab, was leader of the Thirty. It was he who wielded his spear against three hundred whom he killed, winning himself a name among the Thirty.

11:21 He was more famous than the Thirty and became their captain, but he was no rival for the Three.

11:22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a hero from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits, struck down the two champions of Moab and, one snowy day, went down and killed the lion in the cistern.

11:23 He was also the man who killed an Egyptian, a huge man five cubits tall. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand like a weaver’s beam, but he went down against him with a staff, tore the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed the man with it.

11:24 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, winning him a name among the thirty champions.

11:25 He was more famous than the Thirty, but he was no rival for the Three. David put him in command of his bodyguard.

11:26 The valiant champions: Asahel the brother of Joab. Elhanan son of Dodo, from Bethlehem.

11:27 Shammoth from Harod. Helez the Pelonite.

11:28 Ira son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa. Abiezer from Anathoth.

11:29 Sibbecai from Hushah. Ilai from Ahoh.

11:30 Maharai from Netophah. Heled son of Baanah, from Netophah.

11:31 Ithai son of Ribai, from Gibea of Benjamin. Benaiah from Pirathon.

11:32 Hurai from the wadis of Gaash. Abiel from Beth-ha-arabah.

11:33 Azmaveth from Baharum. Eliahba from Shaalbon.

11:34 Bene-hashem from Gizon. Jonathan son of Shagee, from Harar.

11:35 Ahiam son of Sachar, from Harar. Eliphelet son of Ur.

11:36 Hepher from Mecherah. Ahijah the Pelonite.

11:37 Hezro from Carmel. Naarai son of Ezbai.

11:38 Joel the brother of Nathan. Mibhar son of Hagri.

11:39 Zelek the Ammonite. Naharai from Beeroth, armour-bearer to Joab son of Zeruiah.

11:40 Ira from Jattir. Gareb from Jattir.

11:41 Uriah the Hittite. Zabad son of Ahlai.

11:42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, leader of the Reubenites and over the Thirty.

11:43 Hanan son of Maacah. Joshaphat the Mithnite.

11:44 Uzzia from Ashteroth. Shama and Jeiel, sons of Hotham the Aroerite.

11:45 Jediael son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite.

11:46 Eliel the Mahavite. Jeribai and Joshaviah, sons of Elnaam. Ithmah the Moabite.

11:47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel from Zoba.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 12

David’s first supporters

12:1 These are the men who rallied to David at Ziklag when he was still kept from the presence of Saul son of Kish; they were champions, a standby in battle,

12:2 who could handle the bow with right hand or with left, who could use stones or arrows. Of the kinsmen of Saul the Benjaminite:

12:3 Ahiezer the leader, and Joash, sons of Hasshemar from Gibeah, Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth, Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth,

12:4 Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a champion among the Thirty, and over the Thirty;

12:5 Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan and Jozabad from Gederoth

12:6 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah from Hariph,

12:7 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, Korahites,

12:8 Joelah, Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

12:9 Some Gadites seceded to David in the stronghold in the wilderness. They were stout fighting men and trained, well used to shield and spear. Lions they were in aspect, and, for speed, gazelles on the mountains.

12:10 Ezer was the leader, Obadiah second, Eliab third,

12:11 Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,

12:12 Attai sixth, Eliel seventh,

12:13 Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth,

12:14 Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh.

12:15 These sons of Gad were troop commanders, each one in command, the lesser of a hundred, the greater of a thousand.

12:16 These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it overflows its course, and put to flight all who lived on its banks, both east and west.

12:17 Certain Benjaminites, too, and Judaeans came to David in the stronghold.

12:18 David went forward to them and addressed them. ‘If you come to me as friends’ he said ‘to give me help, then I am ready to join with you. But if it is to betray me to my enemies, when I have done no wrong, then may the God of our ancestors take note and give judgement.’

12:19 Then the spirit took possession of Amasai, leader of the Thirty: ‘Go forth, David! Peace be with you, son of Jesse! Peace to you, peace to him that helps you, for your help is your God.’ David accepted them and added them to his other company commanders.

12:20 Certain Manassites deserted to David as he was setting out with the Philistines to fight Saul. But he gave them no help because the Philistine chiefs, after consultation, dismissed him. ‘If he deserted to his master Saul’ they said ‘it would cost us our heads.’

12:21 He was on his way to Ziklag when these Manassites deserted to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, Zillethai, commanders of thousands in Manasseh.

12:22 This was a reinforcement for David and his troops, since they were all valiant champions and became officers in the army.

12:23 Indeed reinforcements reached David every day, so that his camp grew into a camp of prodigious size.

The warriors who assured David’s kingship

12:24 These are the figures from the roll of warriors equipped for battle who joined David at Hebron to transfer Saul’s kingship to him in accordance with the order of Yahweh:

12:26 of the sons of Simeon; seven thousand one hundred champions valiant in war;

12:27 of the sons of Levi: four thousand six hundred,

12:28 in addition to Jehoiada, in command of the Aaronites, with three thousand seven hundred of these,

12:29 Zadok, a young and valiant champion, and twenty-two commanders of his family;

12:30 of the sons of Benjamin: three thousand kinsmen of Saul, most of them hitherto in the service of the House of Saul;

12:31 of the sons of Ephraim: twenty thousand eight hundred valiant champions, men famous in their families;

12:32 of the half-tribe of Manasseh: eighteen thousand men assigned by name to go and proclaim David king;

12:33 of the sons of Issachar, sound judges of the times when Israel should take action, and the way to do it: two hundred chiefs and all their kinsmen under their command;

12:34 of Zebulun: fifty thousand men fit for service, marshalled for battle, with warlike weapons of every kind, staunch-hearted auxiliaries;

12:35 of Naphtali: a thousand commanders, and with them thirty-seven thousand men armed with shield and spear;

12:36 of the Danites: twenty-eight thousand six hundred men marshalled for battle;

12:37 of Asher: forty thousand men fit for service, marshalled for battle;

12:38 from Transjordania: a hundred and twenty thousand men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, with warlike weapons of every kind.

12:39 All these fighting men, marshalled reinforcements, came to Hebron with the purpose and determination to proclaim David king over all Israel; and the rest of Israel, too, were all of one mind in making David king.

12:40 For three days they stayed there, eating and drinking with David. Their kinsmen had made preparations for them;

12:41 furthermore, from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali their neighbours brought provisions, by donkey and camel, mule and ox – flour cakes, fig cakes, bunches of raisins, wine, oil, quantities of oxen and sheep; for there was joy in Israel.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 13

The ark brought back from Kiriath-jearim

13:1 David conferred with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and with all the leaders.

13:2 To the whole assembly of Israel David said, ‘If this has your approval, and if Yahweh our God wills it so, we will send messengers to the rest of our brothers throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites in their towns and adjacent lands, bidding them join us.

13:3 We will then recover the ark of our God, for in the time of Saul we neglected it.’

13:4 The whole assembly agreed to this, for in the eyes of all the people it was the right thing to do.

13:5 So David gathered all the people together from the Shihor of Egypt to the Pass of Hamath to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

13:6 Then David and all Israel went up to Baalah, to Kiriath-jearim in Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which bears the name of Yahweh who is seated on the cherubs.

13:7 At Abinadab’s house they placed the ark of God on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio were leading the cart.

13:8 David and all Israel danced before God with all their might, singing to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, trumpets.

13:9 When they came to the threshing-floor of the Javelin, Uzzah stretched his hand out to hold the ark, as the oxen were making it tilt.

13:10 Then the anger of Yahweh blazed out against Uzzah and he struck him down because he had laid his hand on the ark, and he died there in the presence of God.

13:11 David was displeased that Yahweh had broken out against Uzzah, and that place was called Perez-uzzah as it still is now.

13:12 David went in fear of God that day. ‘However can I bring the ark of God to my home?’ he said.

13:13 So David did not take the ark home to the Citadel of David, but took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.

13:14 The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom, in his house, for three months, and Yahweh blessed the family of Obed-edom and everything that belonged to him.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 14

David at Jerusalem, his palace, his children

14:1 Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David with cedar wood and stone masons and carpenters to build him a palace.

14:2 David then knew that Yahweh had confirmed him as king over Israel, and that for the sake of his people Israel his reign was being made glorious.

14:3 At Jerusalem David took more wives and fathered more sons and daughters.

14:4 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

14:5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,

14:6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

14:7 Elishama, Beeliada, Eliphelet.

Victories over the Philistines

14:8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of all Israel, they all marched up to seek him out. On hearing this, David went out to meet them.

14:9 When the Philistines arrived they deployed in the Valley of the Rephaim.

14:10 David consulted God; ‘Shall I attack the Philistines?’ he asked. ‘Will you deliver them into my power?’ Yahweh answered him, ‘Attack! I will deliver them into your power.’

14:11 Accordingly they went up to Baal-perazim and there David defeated them. David said, ‘Through me God has made a breach in my enemies like a breach the waters make’. For this reason that place was called Baal-perazim.

14:12 They had left their gods behind them there, and David ordered them to be burnt.

14:13 Again the Philistines deployed in the valley.

14:14 David again consulted God, and God answered, ‘Do not attack them from the front; go round and engage them opposite the balsam trees.

14:15 When you hear the sound of steps in the tops of the balsam trees, launch your attack, for that will be God going out ahead of you to rout the army of the Philistines.’

14:16 David did as God had ordered, and they routed the Philistine army from Gibeon as far as Gezer.

14:17 The fame of David spread into every region, and Yahweh made him feared by every nation.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 15

B. THE ARK IN THE CITADEL OF DAVID

Preparations for moving the ark

15:1 He put up buildings for himself in the Citadel of David and prepared a place for the ark of God, and he pitched a tent for it.

15:2 Then he said, ‘The ark of God may be moved only by the Levites, since Yahweh has chosen them to carry the ark of Yahweh and to serve him always’.

15:3 Then David gathered all Israel together in Jerusalem to bring the ark of God up to the place he had prepared for it.

15:4 David called together the sons of Aaron and the sons of Levi:

15:5 of the sons of Kohath: Uriel the chief and his hundred and twenty kinsmen;

15:6 of the sons of Merari: Asaiah the chief and his two hundred and twenty kinsmen;

15:7 of the sons of Gershom: Joel the chief and his hundred and thirty kinsmen;

15:8 of the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief and his two hundred kinsmen;

15:9 of the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief and eighty kinsmen;

15:10 of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief and his hundred and twelve kinsmen.

15:11 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab.

15:12 To these he said, ‘You are the heads of the levitical families. Sanctify yourselves,[*a] you and your kinsmen, and bring the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, up to the place I have prepared for it.

15:13 It was because you were not there the first time that Yahweh our God broke out against us,[*b] because we did not approach him in the right way.’

15:14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel,

15:15 and the Levites carried the ark of God with the shafts on their shoulders, as Moses had ordered in accordance with the word of Yahweh.

15:16 David then told the heads of the Levites to assign duties for their kinsmen as cantors, with their various instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, to play joyful tunes.

15:17 The Levites then appointed Heman son of Joel, Asaph son of Berechiah, one of his brothers, Ethan son of Kushaiah, one of their Merarite kinsmen;

15:18 and with them, next in rank, their kinsmen: Zechariah son of Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, keepers of the gate.

15:19 Heman, Asaph and Ethan, the cantors, were to clash the cymbals of bronze;

15:20 Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the keyed harp.

15:21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah, giving the beat, were to play the octave lyre.

15:22 Chenaniah, a chief of the Levites and versed in divine oracles, was to expound these, being expert in them.

15:23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers to the ark.

15:24 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer were to sound the trumpet before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were to be gatekeepers to the ark.[*c]

The ark is brought to Jerusalem

15:25 So David, with the elders of Israel and the commanders of thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from Obed-edom’s house with great rejoicing.

15:26 And since God was helping the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

15:27 David was wearing a cloak of fine linen, like all the Levites who carried the ark, the cantors and Chenaniah, the officer in charge of its transportation. David also wore the linen ephod.

15:28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with acclaim, to the sound of the horn, of trumpets, of cymbals, making harp and lyre resound.

15:29 Now as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh entered the Citadel of David, Michal the daughter of Saul was watching from the window and saw King David dancing and exultant; and she despised him in her heart.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 16

16:1 They brought the ark of God in and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered holocausts before God, and communion sacrifices.

16:2 And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh.

16:3 He then distributed to all the Israelites, men and women, a loaf of bread each, a portion of dates, and a raisin cake.

The service of the Levites before the ark

16:4 David appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of Yahweh, to commemorate, glorify and praise Yahweh, the God of Israel:

16:5 first Asaph, second Zechariah, then Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel. These were to play the harp and the lyre, Asaph was to clash the cymbals.

16:6 The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to keep sounding the trumpet before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh.

16:7 That day, David, foremost in praising Yahweh, entrusted this song of praise[*a] to Asaph and his kinsmen:

16:8 Give thanks to Yahweh, call his name aloud, proclaim his deeds to the peoples.

16:9 Sing to him, play to him, tell over all his marvels.

16:10 Glory in his holy name, let the hearts that seek Yahweh rejoice!

16:11 Seek Yahweh and his strength, seek his face untiringly;

16:12 remember the marvels he has done, his wonders, the judgements from his mouth.

16:13 Stock of Israel his servant, sons of Jacob his chosen one,

16:14 he is Yahweh our God; his authority is over all the earth.

16:15 Remember his covenant for ever, his word of command for a thousand generations,

16:16 the pact he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac.

16:17 He established it as a statute for Jacob, an everlasting covenant for Israel.

16:18 ‘I give you a land,’ he said ‘Canaan, your allotted heritage,

16:19 ‘there where you were easily counted, ‘few in number, strangers to the country.’

16:20 They went from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,

16:23 Sing to Yahweh, all the earth. Proclaim his salvation day after day,

16:24 tell of his glory among the nations, tell his marvels to every people.

16:25 Yahweh is great, loud must be his praise, he to be feared beyond all gods.

16:26 Nothingness, all the gods of the nations. Yahweh himself made the heavens;

16:27 in his presence are splendour and majesty, in his sanctuary power and joy.

16:28 Pay tribute to Yahweh, families of the peoples, tribute to Yahweh of glory and power,

16:29 tribute to Yahweh of his name’s due glory. Bring out the offering, bear it before him, worship Yahweh in his sacred court,

16:30 tremble before him, all the earth! Firm has he made the world, and unshakeable.

16:31 Let the heavens be glad, let earth rejoice! Say among the nations, ‘Yahweh is king!’

16:32 Let the sea thunder and all that it holds, let the fields exult and all that is in them,

16:33 let all the woodland trees cry out for joy, at the presence of Yahweh; for he comes to judge the earth.

16:34 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

16:35 Say, ‘God of our salvation, save us, gather us, rescue us from among the heathen, to give thanks to your holy name and to find our happiness in praising you.’

16:36 Blessed be Yahweh the God of Israel from all eternity and for ever! And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Alleluia!

16:37 There before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh David left Asaph and his kinsmen to maintain a permanent ministry before the ark as each day’s ritual required,

16:38 and also Obed-edom, with his sixty-eight kinsmen. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were to be keepers of the gate.

16:39 Zadok the priest and the priests, his kinsmen, he left before the tabernacle of Yahweh on the high place at Gibeon

16:40 to offer holocausts to Yahweh unfailingly, morning and evening, on the altar of holocaust, and to carry out all that is written in the Law of Yahweh laid down for Israel.

16:41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those who were chosen and assigned by name to give praise to God, ‘for his love is everlasting’.

16:42 With them were Heman and Jeduthun who were to sound the trumpets, cymbals and musical instruments accompanying the hymns to God. The sons of Jeduthun were given charge of the gate.

16:43 Then all went away, each to his own house, and David returned to bless his household.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 17

The prophecy of Nathan

17:1 Once David had settled into his house, he said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Here am I living in a house of cedar, while the ark of Yahweh’s covenant is still beneath the awning of a tent’.

17:2 Nathan said to David, ‘Do all that is in your mind, for God is with you’.

17:3 But that very night the word of Yahweh came to Nathan,

17:4 ‘Go and tell my servant David, “Yahweh says this: You are not the man to build me a house to dwell in.

17:5 I have never stayed in a house from the day I brought Israel out until today, but went from tent to tent, from one shelter to another.

17:6 In all my journeying with the whole of Israel, did I say to any one of the judges of Israel, whom I had appointed as shepherds of my people: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

17:7 This is what you must say to my servant David: Yahweh Sabaoth says this: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel.

17:8 I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth.

17:9 I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall live in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to destroy them, as they did

17:10 in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will subdue all their enemies. I will make you great; Yahweh will make you a House.

17:11 And when your days are ended and you must go to your ancestors, I will preserve your offspring after you, a son of your own, and make his sovereignty secure.

17:12 It is he who shall build a house for me and I will make his throne firm for ever.

17:13 I will be a father to him and he a son to me. I will not withdraw my favour from him, as I withdrew it from your predecessor.

17:14 I will preserve him for ever in my house and in my kingdom; and his throne shall be established for ever.”‘

17:15 Nathan related all these words to David and this whole revelation.

David’s prayer

17:16 King David then went in and, seated before Yahweh, said: ‘Who am I, Yahweh God, and what is my House, that you have led me as far as this?

17:17 Yet in your eyes, O God, this is still not far enough, and you make your promises extend to your servant’s House into the distant future. You show me as it were a line of men, and it is Yahweh God, who promises it.

17:18 What more can David say to you for the honour you have given to your servant? You yourself have singled out your servant.

17:19 For your servant’s sake, this dog of yours, you have done such a great thing by revealing all this greatness to come.

17:20 There is none like you, no God except you alone, that we have ever heard of.

17:21 Is there another people on the earth like your people Israel, with a God setting out to redeem it and make it his people, giving yourself a name for great and terrible things by driving nations out before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt?

17:22 You made your people Israel your own people for ever; and you, Yahweh, have become their God.

17:23 Now, Yahweh, let the promise you have made to your servant and to his House be always kept, and do as you have said.

17:24 May this promise hold good and your name be exalted for ever; may they say, “Yahweh Sabaoth is the God of Israel, he is God for Israel.” The House of your servant David will be made secure in your presence,

17:25 since you yourself, my God, have made the revelation to your servant that you would build him a House; and so your servant has ventured to offer this prayer in your presence.

17:26 Yes, Yahweh, you are God indeed, and you have made this kind promise to your servant.

17:27 Be pleased, then, to bless the House of your servant, that it may continue for ever in your presence; for what you, Yahweh, have blessed is blessed for ever.’

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 18

The wars of David

18:1 After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. From the hands of the Philistines he took Gath and its outlying villages.

18:2 He also defeated the Moabites; the Moabites became subject to David, paying him tribute.

18:3 At Hamath David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah on his way to consolidate his power over the river Euphrates.

18:4 David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers from him; David hamstrung all the chariot teams, keeping only a hundred of them.

18:5 The Aramaeans of Damascus came to the help of Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David killed twenty-two thousand men of the Aramaeans.

18:6 Then David imposed governors on Aram of Damascus, and the Aramaeans became subject to David, paying him tribute. Wherever David went, God gave him victory.

18:7 David took the golden shields carried by the guards of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

18:8 From Tibhath and from Cun, towns belonging to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze; with this Solomon made the bronze Sea and the bronze pillars and furnishings.

18:9 When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah,

18:10 he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him on fighting and defeating Hadadezer, since Hadadezer was the enemy of Tou. He sent articles of every kind in gold, silver and bronze,

18:11 which King David also consecrated to Yahweh together with the silver and gold he had levied from all the nations: Edom, Moab, Ammonites, Philistines, Amalek.

18:12 Abishai son of Zeruiah defeated the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, eighteen thousand of them.

18:13 He imposed governors on Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. Wherever David went, God gave him victory.

The exploits of David’s commanders

18:14 David ruled over all Israel, administering law and justice to all his people.

18:15 Joab son of Zeruiah was in command of the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;

18:16 Zadok son of Ahitub and Abiathar son of Ahimelech were priests; Shavsha was secretary;

18:17 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and Pelethites; David’s sons held the first place at the king’s side.[*a]

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 19

19:1 After this, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him.

19:2 David thought, ‘I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash since his father was kind to me’. And David sent messengers with his condolences on his father’s death. But when David’s servants reached Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to present these condolences,

19:3 the Ammonite leaders, said to Hanun, ‘Do you imagine David means to honour your father when he sends you messengers of sympathy? On the contrary, the reason why his servants have come to you is to explore, overthrow and reconnoitre the country.’

19:4 Whereupon Hanun seized David’s servants, shaved them, cut their clothes halfway up to the buttocks, and sent them away.

19:5 David was soon told what had happened to these men; he sent someone to meet them, for the men were covered with shame. ‘Stay in Jericho’ the king said ‘until your beards have grown again, and come back then.’

19:6 The Ammonites saw that they had incurred the enmity of David, and accordingly Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from the Aramaeans of Upper Mesopotamia, of Maacah and of Zobah.

19:7 They hired thirty-two thousand chariots; also the king of Maacah with his army. These came and encamped before Medeba, while the Ammonites, having left their towns and mustered, were advancing to the war.

19:8 When David heard this, he sent Joab with all the common soldiers and the champions.

19:9 The Ammonites marched out and drew up their line of battle at the approaches to the town, but the kings who had come kept their distance in the open country.

19:10 Joab, seeing that he had to fight on two fronts, to his front and to his rear, chose the best of Israel’s picked men and drew them up in line facing the Aramaeans.

19:11 He entrusted the rest of the army to his brother Abishai, and drew them up in line facing the Ammonites.

19:12 ‘If the Aramaeans prove too strong for me,’ he said ‘you must come to my help; if the Ammonites prove too strong for you, I will come to yours.

19:13 Take courage and stand firm for the sake of our people and the towns of our God. And may Yahweh do as he thinks right.’

19:14 Joab and the force with him joined battle with the Aramaeans, who fled before him.

19:15 When the Ammonites saw that the Aramaeans had taken flight, they too fled before Abishai, Joab’s brother, and withdrew into their town. Then Joab came back to Jerusalem.

19:16 Seeing that they had been defeated by Israel, the Aramaeans sent messengers and mobilised the Aramaeans from beyond the river, with Shophach, commander of Hadadezer’s army, at their head.

19:17 Word of this was brought to David, who mustered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, made contact with them and took up position near them. David drew up his line of battle facing the Aramaeans, who then engaged him.

19:18 But the Aramaeans gave ground before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their chariot teams and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach their general.

19:19 When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. The Aramaeans were reluctant to give any more help to the Ammonites.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 20

20:1 At the turn of the year, the time when kings go campaigning, Joab led out the troops and ravaged the land of the Ammonites and went to lay siege to Rabbah. David, however, remained in Jerusalem. Joab reduced Rabbah and dismantled it.

20:2 David took the crown from the head of Milcom and found that it weighed a talent of gold; in it was set a precious stone which made an ornament for David’s head. He carried off a great quantity of spoil from the town.

20:3 He brought away its population and set them to work with saws, iron picks and axes. David treated all the Ammonite towns in the same way. Then David and the whole army returned to Jerusalem.

20:4 After this, war with the Philistines was resumed at Gezer. This was when Sibbecai of Hushah killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim. The Philistines were subdued.

20:5 War with the Philistines broke out again, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

20:6 There was another battle at Gath, where there was a man of huge stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all. He too was a descendant of Rapha.

20:7 Jonathan, son of David’s brother Shimea, killed him when he defied Israel.

20:8 These men were descended from Rapha of Gath and they fell at the hands of David and his guards.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 21

C. PRELUDE TO THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE

The census

21:1 Satan rose against Israel and incited David to take a census of the Israelites.

21:2 David said to Joab and to the senior army officers, ‘Go, and take a census of Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, then come back and tell me the total.’

21:3 Joab said, ‘May Yahweh multiply the people a hundred times! My lord king, are they not all servants of my lord? Why should my lord make this enquiry? Why should guilt be brought on Israel?’

21:4 But the king enforced his order on Joab, and Joab went away, covered the whole of Israel, and then returned to Jerusalem.

21:5 Joab gave David the figures for the census of the people: the whole of Israel numbered one million one hundred thousand men capable of drawing sword, and Judah four hundred and seventy thousand capable of drawing sword.

21:6 Joab had found the king’s command so distasteful that he had taken no census of Levi or of Benjamin.

The pestilence. God’s forgiveness

21:7 God looked with displeasure on these proceedings, and he struck Israel.

21:8 Then David said to God, ‘I have committed a grave sin by doing this. But now I beg you to forgive your servant for this fault. I have been very foolish.’

21:9 Then Yahweh spoke to Gad, David’s seer,

21:10 ‘Go and say to David, “Yahweh says this: I offer you three things; choose one of them for me to do to you”.’

21:11 So Gad went to David and said, ‘Yahweh, says this, “Take your choice:

21:12 three years of famine, three months of disaster at the hands of your enemies, with the sword of your enemies thrusting at you, or the sword of Yahweh and three days’ pestilence in the country, with the angel of Yahweh ravaging all the territory of Israel”. Now decide how I am to answer him who sends me.’

21:13 ‘This is a hard choice’ David said to Gad. ‘But let me rather fall into the power of Yahweh, since his mercy is very great; and not into the power of men.’

21:14 So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel, and seventy thousand men of the Israelites died.

21:15 Then God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to destroy it, Yahweh looked and thought better of this evil; and he said to the destroying angel, ‘Enough! Now withdraw your hand.’ The angel of Yahweh was standing beside the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

21:16 David, raising his eyes, saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and heaven, a drawn sword in his hand stretched out towards Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.

21:17 ‘Was it not I who sinned, who did this most wicked thing? But these, this flock, what have they done? Yahweh my God, let your hand lie heavy on me and on my family; but let your people escape the plague.’

The altar is built

21:18 The angel of Yahweh then said to Gad, ‘David must go up and erect an altar to Yahweh on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.’

21:19 So David went up at the word which Gad had spoken in the name of Yahweh.

21:20 Now Oman, as he turned, had seen the angel and had hidden, with his four sons. Ornan was threshing wheat

21:21 when David came to him. Ornan looked down, saw David, came off the threshing-floor and with his face to the ground did homage to David.

21:22 Then David said to Ornan, ‘Let me have the site of this threshing-floor, to build an altar to Yahweh. Let me have it at its full price. For then the plague will be turned away from the people.’

21:23 ‘Take it’ Ornan said to David ‘and let my lord the king do as he thinks right. Look, I will give you the oxen for holocausts, the threshing-sled for the wood and the wheat for the oblation. I give them all.’

21:24 But King David said to Oman, ‘No. I must buy it from you at the full price; I will not take for Yahweh what belongs to you, offering holocausts that cost me nothing.’

21:25 So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the site.

21:26 David built an altar there to Yahweh and offered holocausts and communion sacrifices. He called on Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of holocaust

21:27 and ordered the angel to sheathe his sword.

21:28 Then it was, seeing that Yahweh had answered him on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, that David offered sacrifice there.

21:29 The tabernacle of Yahweh that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of holocaust were at that time on the high place at Gibeon,

21:30 but David had not been able to go into God’s presence there to consult him, so fearful was he of the sword of the angel of Yahweh.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 22

22:1 Then David said, ‘Here is the house of Yahweh God; and this shall be the altar of holocaust for Israel’.

Preparations for the building of the Temple[*a]

22:2 David gave orders for the gathering of all the strangers living in the land of Israel and set stonecutters preparing dressed stones for building the house of God.

22:3 David furthermore stored up great quantities of iron to make nails for the leaves of the doors and for clamps, and more bronze than could be weighed;

22:4 logs of cedar too, beyond number, the Sidonians and Tyrians having brought cedar logs to David in great quantities.

22:5 Then David said, ‘My son Solomon is young, of tender years, and the house to be built for Yahweh must be of great splendour, renowned for its magnificence in every country. I will make preparations for him.’ And so, before he died, David made ample preparations.

22:6 He then summoned his son Solomon and instructed him to build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel.

22:7 ‘My son,’ David said to Solomon ‘my heart was set on building a house for the name of Yahweh my God.

22:8 But the word of Yahweh came to me, “You have shed much blood and fought great battles; it is not for you to build a house for my name, since you have shed so much blood on the earth in my presence.

22:9 But now a son is born to you. He shall be a man of peace, and I will give him peace from all the enemies that surround him; for Solomon is his name,[*b] and in his days I will give Israel peace and quiet.

22:10 He shall build a house for my name; he shall be a son to me and I a father to him, and I will make his royal throne secure in Israel for ever.”

22:11 Now, my son, may Yahweh be with you and give you success in building a house for Yahweh your God, as he has said concerning you.

22:12 Yet may he give you discretion and discernment, may he give you his orders for Israel so that you may observe the Law of Yahweh your God.

22:13 Success will be yours if you carefully observe the statutes and the ordinances that Yahweh has prescribed to Moses for Israel. Be strong and stand fast, be fearless, be dauntless.

22:14 Poor as I am, I have set aside for the house of Yahweh one hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver and more bronze and iron than can be weighed; I have stored up wood and stone too, to which you must add more.

22:15 You will have many workmen, stonecutters, masons, carpenters, skilled artisans of every kind,

22:16 while your gold and silver, bronze and iron, will be beyond reckoning. Set to work, then, and may Yahweh be with you!’

22:17 David then ordered all the Israelite leaders to help his son Solomon.

22:18 ‘Is not Yahweh your God with you?’ he said. ‘He has given you peace on all sides, since he has put the inhabitants of the country into my power and the land has been subdued for Yahweh and for his people.

22:19 So now devote heart and soul to the search for Yahweh your God. Set to and build the sanctuary of Yahweh your God, so that you can bring the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and the holy things of God to the house that is built for the name of Yahweh.’

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 23

The orders and functions of the Levites

23:1 David, an old man now with his fill of days, made his son Solomon king over Israel.

23:2 He gathered all the Israelite leaders together, with the priests and Levites.

23:3 A census was taken of those Levites thirty years old and upwards. On a count of heads their number was thirty-eight thousand;

23:4 twenty-four thousand of these were responsible for the services[*a] of the house of Yahweh; six thousand were scribes and judges;

23:5 four thousand were keepers of the gate; four thousand praised Yahweh on the instruments David had made for that purpose.

23:6 Then David divided the Levites into orders: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

23:7 For the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

23:8 Sons of Ladan: Jehiel first, Zetham, Joel; three in all.

23:9 Sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, Haran; three in all. These are the heads of families of Ladan.

23:10 Sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, Beriah; these were the sons of Shimei; four in all.

23:11 Jahath was the eldest, Zizah the second, then Jeush and Beriah, who had not many children and were reckoned as one family.

23:12 Sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, Uzziel; four in all.

23:13 Sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to consecrate the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense in the presence of Yahweh, to serve him and to bless in his name for ever.

23:14 Moses was a man of God whose sons were given the name of the tribe of Levi.

23:15 Sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

23:16 Sons of Gershom: Shebuel, the first.

23:17 Eliezer had sons: Rehabiah, the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.

23:21 Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. Sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

23:22 Eleazar died leaving no sons but only daughters; their kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married these.

23:23 Sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, Jeremoth; three in all.

23:24 These were the sons of Levi by their families, the heads of families, and those registered by name, individually; whoever was twenty years old or upwards had his function in the service of the Temple of Yahweh.

23:25 For David had said, ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given peace to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem for ever.

23:26 The Levites are no longer required to carry the tabernacle or any thing used in its service.’

23:27 For, according to the last words of David, the Levites who had been registered were of twenty years and upwards.

23:28 Their duty is to be at the disposal of the sons of Aaron for the service of the Temple of Yahweh, in the courts and chambers, to purify everything consecrated; their duty is to serve the Temple of God.

23:29 They are also responsible for the loaves set out in rows, and for the flour for the oblation, the wafers of unleavened bread, the cakes baked on the griddle or mixed, and with the various measures of volume and of length.[*b]

23:30 They have to be present every morning to give glory and praise to Yahweh, and also in the evening,

23:31 and at every offering of holocaust to Yahweh on the sabbath, New Moon or solemn feast-a set number of them laid down by rule. This is a perpetual obligation for them in the presence of Yahweh.

23:32 In serving the Temple of Yahweh they observe the ritual of the Tent of Meeting, the ritual of the sanctuary and the ritual of their kinsmen, the sons of Aaron.

24:2 Nadab and Abihu died in their father’s lifetime leaving no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became priests.

24:3 David divided them into orders with the help of Zadok, one of Eleazar’s sons, and Ahimelech, one of the sons of Ithamar, and made a register of them according to their duties.

24:4 The sons of Eleazar were found to have more leading men than the sons of Ithamar; accordingly, from the heads of families of the sons of Eleazar they made sixteen orders, and from those of the sons of Ithamar, eight.

24:5 They divided them, both parties, by lot: there were consecrated officials, officials of God, among the sons of Eleazar, as among the sons of Ithamar.

24:6 One of the Levites, the scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, recorded them in the presence of the king, his officers, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar and the heads of the priestly and levitical families. They drew lots for each family of the sons of Eleazar and for the sons of Ithamar, turn and turn about.

24:7 The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, to Jedaiah the second,

24:8 Harim the third, Seorim the fourth,

24:9 Malchijah the fifth, Mijamin the sixth,

24:10 Hakkoz the seventh, Abijah the eighth,

24:11 Jeshua the ninth, Shecaniah the tenth,

24:12 Eliashib the eleventh, Jakim the twelfth,

24:13 Huppah the thirteenth, Ishbaal the fourteenth,

24:14 Bilgah the fifteenth, Immer the sixteenth,

24:15 Hezir the seventeenth, Happizzez the eighteenth,

24:16 Pethahiah the nineteenth, Jehezkel the twentieth,

24:17 Jachin the twenty-first, Gamul the twenty-second,

24:18 Delaiah the twenty-third, Maaziah the twenty-fourth.

24:19 These were the men as registered by their various duties, to enter the Temple of Yahweh in conformity to their rule handed on by Aaron their father as Yahweh, the God of Israel, had laid it down for him.

24:20 As regards the rest of the sons of Levi: For the sons of Amram: Shubael. For the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.

24:21 For Rehabiah, for the sons of Rehabiah: the eldest, Isshiah.

24:22 For the Izharites: Shelomoth; for the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.

24:23 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.

24:24 Sons of Uzziel: Micah; for the sons of Micah: Shamir;

24:25 the brother of Micah: Isshiah; for the sons of Micah: Isshiah, Zechariah.

24:26 Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. Sons of Jaaziah: his son;

24:27 sons of Merari: for Jaaziah his son: Shoham, Zaccur, Ibri,

24:28 for Mahli: Eleazar who had no sons;

24:29 for Kish: the sons of Kish: Jerahmeel.

24:30 Sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, Jerimoth. These were the sons of Levi by their families.

24:31 Like their kinsmen, the sons of Aaron, these families, senior and junior, drew lots in the presence of king David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the priestly and levitical families.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 25

The cantors

25:1 For the liturgy, David and the senior army officers set apart the sons of Asaph, of Heman and of Jeduthun, prophets who accompanied themselves with lyre and harp and cymbal, and a list was made of those with these duties to perform.

25:2 For the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph who prophesied at the king’s direction.

25:3 For Jeduthun: sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, Mattithiah; there were six of them under the direction of their father Jeduthun who, to the sound of the lyre, prophesied to the glory and praise of Yahweh.

25:5 All these were sons of Heman, the king’s seer; these sounded the trumpet to accompany God’s words. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters;

25:6 all of them sang in the Temple of Yahweh under their father’s direction to the sound of cymbal, harp and lyre, for the liturgy in the house of Yahweh at the king’s direction. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman,

25:7 these who had learnt to sing to Yahweh, were registered with their kinsmen; the total of those so trained was two hundred and eighty-eight.

25:8 Junior and senior, master and pupil alike, they drew lots for their term of duty.

25:9 The first to whom the lot fell was the Asaphite, Joseph. The second was Gedaliah, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:10 The third was Zaccur, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:11 The fourth was Izri, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:12 The fifth was Nethaniah, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:13 The sixth was Bukkiah, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:14 The seventh was Jesharelah, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:15 The eighth was Jeshaiah, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:16 The ninth was Mattaniah, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:17 The tenth was Shimei, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:18 The eleventh was Azarel, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:19 The twelfth was Hashabiah, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:20 The thirteenth was Shubael, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:21 The fourteenth was Mattithiah, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:22 The fifteenth was Jeremoth, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:23 The sixteenth was Hananiah, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:24 The seventeenth was Joshbekashah, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:25 The eighteenth was Hanani, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:26 The nineteenth was Mallothi, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:27 The twentieth was Eliathah, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:28 The twenty-first was Hothir, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:29 The twenty-second was Giddalti, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:30 The twenty-third was Mahazioth, twelve with his sons and brothers.

25:31 The twenty-fourth was Romamti-ezer, twelve with his sons and brothers.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 26

The keepers of the gate

26:1 As regards the orders of the gatekeepers: For the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Ebiasaph.

26:2 Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the first-born, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

26:3 Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh.

26:4 Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the first-born, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,

26:8 All these were sons of Obed-edom. These and their sons and brothers were well fitted for their task. For Obed-edom, sixty-two.

26:9 Meshelemiah had sons and brothers: eighteen brave men.

26:10 Hosah, one of the sons of Merari, had sons: Shimri was the first, for although he was not the first-born his father had made him the chief.

26:11 Hilkiah was the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth. The sons and brothers of Hosah were thirteen in all.

26:12 These, as keepers of the gate, had their orders, and the leaders of these heroes had duties corresponding to those of their kinsmen in the service of the Temple of Yahweh.

26:13 They drew lots, junior and senior family alike, for each gate.

26:14 For the east side the lot fell to Shelemiah, whose son Zechariah was a shrewd counsellor; when they drew lots, the lot for the north side fell to the latter.

26:15 To Obed-edom went the south, and to his sons the storehouse.

26:16 To Shuppim and Hosah went the west with the Gate of the Felled Tree-trunk on the upper road. The watch, turn and turn about:

26:17 on the east, six daily; on the north, four daily; on the south, four daily; at the storehouse, two each side;

26:18 for the Parbar on the west: four at the road, two at the Parbar.

26:19 These were the orders of the gatekeepers among the Korahites and Merarites.

Other levitical duties

26:20 The Levites, their kinsmen, were responsible for those in charge of the treasuries of the Temple of God and in charge of the treasuries of votive offerings:

26:21 The sons of Ladan, sons, through Ladan, of Gershon, had the Jehielites for heads of the families of Ladan the Gershonite.

26:22 The Jehielites, Zetham and Joel his brother, were responsible for the treasuries of the Temple of Yahweh.

26:23 As regards the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites:

26:24 Shebuel son of Gershom, son of Moses, was the officer responsible for the treasuries.

26:25 His kinsmen through Eliezer: Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zichri his son, Shelomoth his son.

26:26 This Shelomoth and his kinsmen were responsible for all the treasuries of votive offerings dedicated by King David and by the heads of families as officers of thousands, of hundreds, or other senior officers,

26:27 (they had dedicated a part of the spoils of war to make the house of Yahweh more impressive),

26:28 and also for all that Samuel the seer had dedicated, and Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah. All that had been dedicated was the responsibility of Shelomoth and his kinsmen.

26:29 For the Izharites: Chananiah and his sons were assigned to outside duties for Israel[*a] as scribes and judges.

26:30 For the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his kinsmen, one thousand seven hundred fighting men to guard Israel west of Jordan in all that had to do with Yahweh and in the service of the king.

26:31 For the Hebronites: Jerijah the chief. In the fortieth year of David’s reign, the pedigrees of the Hebronite families were investigated and stout fighting men were found belonging to them at Jazer in Gilead.

26:32 King David nominated two thousand seven hundred fighting men, kinsmen to Jerijah and heads of families, as overseers of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh in all the business of God and of the king.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 27

Military and civil organisation

27:1 The sons of Israel; their enumeration. The heads of families, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, their scribes, these performed their duties among the people. The orders played their part in all royal business. There was one on duty for a month, every month of the year. Each order was made up of twenty-four thousand men.

27:2 The commissioner for the first order detailed for the first month was Jashobeam son of Zabdiel. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:3 He was a son of Perez and chief of all the officers of the group detailed for the first month.

27:4 The commissioner for the order for the second-month was Dodai the Ahohite. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:5 The officer of the third group detailed for the third month was Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the chief priest. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:6 This was the Benaiah who was champion of the Thirty, and who was commissioner for the Thirty and for his order. Ammizabad was his son.

27:7 The fourth, detailed for the fourth month, was Asahel, the brother of Joab; his son Zebadiah succeeded him. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:8 The fifth, detailed for the fifth month, was the officer Shamhuth the Izrahite. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:9 The sixth, detailed for the sixth month, was Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:10 The seventh, detailed for the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite, one of the sons of Ephraim. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:11 The eighth, detailed for the eighth month, was Sibbecai of Hushah, a Zerahite. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:12 The ninth, detailed for the ninth month, was Abiezer of Anathoth, a Benjaminite. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:13 The tenth, detailed for the tenth month, was Maharai of Netophah, a Zerahite. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:14 The eleventh, detailed for the eleventh month, was Benaiah of Pirathon, a son of Ephraim. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:15 The twelfth, detailed for the twelfth month, was Heldai from Netophah, of Othniel. He had charge of an order of twenty-four thousand men.

27:16 Commissioners for the tribes of Israel: Eliezer son of Zichri was chief officer for the Reubenites, Shephatiah son of Maacah for the Simeonites,

27:17 Hashabiah son of Kemuel for the Levites, Zadok for the Aaronites,

27:18 Elihu, one of David’s brothers, for the Judaeans, Omri son of Michael for the Issacharites,

27:19 Ishmaiah son of Obadiah for the Zebulunites, Jeremoth son of Azriel for the Naphtalites,

27:20 Hoshea son of Azaziah for the Ephraimites, Joel son of Pedaiah for the half-tribe of Manasseh,

27:21 Iddo son of Zechariah for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gad, Jaasiel son of Abner for the Benjaminites,

27:22 Azarel son of Jeroham for the Danites. These were the officials for the tribes of Israel.

27:23 David took no census of those who were twenty years old and under, since Yahweh had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars of heaven.

27:24 Joab son of Zeruiah began a census, though he did not finish it. That is why the wrath came on Israel, and the figure never reached the figure found in the Annals of King David.[*a]

27:25 Commissioner for the king’s stores: Azmaveth son of Adiel. Commissioner for the stores in provincial towns, villages, castles: Jonathan son of Uzziah.

27:26 Commissioner for the agricultural workers employed on the land: Ezri son of Chelub.

27:27 Commissioner for the vineyards: Shimei of Ramah. Commissioner for those in the vineyards who looked after the wine cellars: Zabdi of Shepham.

27:28 Commissioner for the olives and sycamores in the lowlands: Baal-hanan of Geder. Commissioner for the stores of oil: Joash.

27:29 Commissioner for cattle in pasture at Sharon: Shitrai of Sharon. Commissioner for cattle in the valleys: Shaphat son of Adlai.

27:30 Commissioner for camels: Obil the Ishmaelite. Commissioner for donkeys: Jehdeiah of Meranoth.

27:31 Commissioner for flocks: Jaziz the Hagrite. All these were bailiffs for King David’s property.

27:32 Jonathan, David’s uncle, who was a councillor, a shrewd man and a scribe, had charge of the royal children, with Jehiel son of Hachmoni.

27:33 Ahithophel was the king’s counsellor. Hushai the Archite was Friend of the King.

27:34 Jehoiada son of Benaiah, and Abiathar[*b] succeeded Ahithophel. Joab was commander of the king’s armies.

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 28

David’s instructions for the Temple

28:1 David held a meeting in Jerusalem of all the officials of Israel, the commissioners for the tribes, and the officials of the orders in the royal service, the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, the bailiffs for all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the eunuchs and champions and all the stout fighting men.

28:2 Then King David rose to his feet and said: ‘My brothers and my people, listen to me. I had set my heart on building a settled home for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, as a footstool for our God. I have made preparations for building,

28:3 but God has said to me, “You are not to build a house for my name, for you have been a man of war and have shed blood”.

28:4 ‘Of all my father’s House it was I whom Yahweh, the God of Israel, chose to be king over Israel for ever. He chose Judah for leader, my family within the House of Judah, and of my father’s sons myself, in his good pleasure, he gave to all Israel as king.

28:5 Of all my sons – and many sons Yahweh has granted me – he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the sovereign throne of Yahweh over Israel.

28:6 He said to me, “Solomon your son is the man to build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be a son to me and I will be a father to him.

28:7 I will make his sovereignty secure for ever if he sturdily maintains my commandments and my ordinances, as they are now.”

28:8 ‘So now in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of Yahweh, and in the hearing of our God, observe and make sure you understand all the commandments of Yahweh your God, so that you may possess this prosperous land and leave it to your children after you as an inheritance for ever.

28:9 ‘And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, serve him with an undivided heart and a willing mind; for Yahweh searches every heart, and knows every plan it devises. If you seek him, he will let you find him; once forsake him, and he casts you off for ever.

28:10 Think at this moment how Yahweh has chosen you to build a house for his sanctuary. Be strong and set to work.’

28:11 David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, the buildings, the treasuries, the upper rooms, the inner apartments and the room for the throne of mercy;

28:12 he also gave him a description of all he had in mind for the courts of the Temple of Yahweh, all the surrounding apartments, the treasuries of the Temple of God and the treasuries of votive offerings;

28:13 also of the orders of priests and Levites, the liturgical duties in the Temple of Yahweh,

28:14 the gold bullion, gold for every article for whatever function, the silver bullion for all the silver articles, for every article for whatever function,

28:15 the bullion for the golden lamp-stands and their lamps, the gold bullion for each lamp-stand and its lamps, the bullion for the silver lamp-stands, for the lamp-stand and its lamps according to the requirements for each lamp-stand,

28:16 gold bullion for the tables on which the rows of bread were set, for each of these tables, the silver for the silver tables,

28:17 the forks, the sprinkling bowls, basins of pure gold, the gold bullion for the bowls, for each of the bowls,

28:18 the bullion of refined gold for the altar of incense. He gave him the plans for the chariot,[*a] for the golden cherubs with wings outspread covering the ark of the covenant of Yahweh –

28:19 all this in accordance with what Yahweh with his hand had written in order to make the whole work clear for which he was providing the plans.

28:20 Then David said to his son Solomon, ‘Be strong, stand firm; be fearless, be dauntless and set to work, because Yahweh God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you before you have finished all the work to be done for the house of Yahweh.

28:21 Here are the orders of priests and Levites for all the duties of the house of God; every willing man of any aptitude will help you in all this work; the officials and all the people are entirely at your command.’

JB 1 CHRONICLES Chapter 29

The voluntary offerings

29:1 Then King David said to the whole assembly, ‘Solomon my son, whom alone Yahweh has chosen, is young, of tender years, and the work is great; this palace is not for man but for Yahweh God.

29:2 With all the resources I have, I have provided for the house of my God, adding gold to gold, silver to silver, bronze to bronze, iron to iron, wood to wood, onyx, inlaid stones, coloured and striped stones, precious stones of every kind, masses of alabaster.

29:3 What is more; what gold and silver I have in my own treasury I give out of love for the house of my God, over and above what I have provided already for the holy Temple-

29:4 three thousand talents of gold, gold of Ophir, seven thousand talents of refined silver for plating the walls of the buildings.

29:5 Whatever gold you have, whatever silver, or workmanship of the craftsman’s hand, which of you today will undertake to consecrate it to Yahweh?’

29:6 Then the heads of families, the officials for the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and those who managed the king’s affairs, undertook

29:7 to give for the service of the house of God five thousand talents of gold, ten thousand darics, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, a hundred thousand talents of iron.

29:8 All this, with what there were in the way of stones, they paid into the treasury of the house of Yahweh, for Jehiel the Gershonite to administer.

29:9 The people rejoiced at what these had given so readily, since their generous gift to Yahweh had been made whole-heartedly. King David too was filled with joy.

29:10 In sight of the whole assembly David blessed Yahweh and said: ‘May you be blessed, Yahweh, the God of Israel our ancestor, for ever and for ever!

29:11 Yours, Yahweh, is the greatness, the power, splendour, length of days, glory, for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours. Yours is the sovereignty, Yahweh; you are exalted over all, supreme.

29:12 Riches and honour go before you, you are ruler of all, in your hand lie strength and power; in your hand it is to give greatness and strength to all.

29:13 At this time, our God, we give you glory, we praise the splendour of your name.

29:14 For who am I and what is my people to have the means to give so generously? All comes from you; from your own hand we have given them to you.

29:15 For we are strangers before you, settlers only, as all our ancestors were; our days on earth pass like a shadow, and there is no hope.

29:16 Yahweh our God, this store we have provided to build a house for your holy name, all comes from your hand, all is yours.

29:17 O my God, you search the heart, I know, and delight in honesty, and with honesty of heart I have willingly given all this; and now with joy I have seen your people here offer you their gifts willingly.

29:18 Yahweh, God of our ancestors, of Abraham, of Isaac, of Israel, watch over this for ever, shape the purpose of your people’s heart and direct their hearts to you.

29:19 Give Solomon my son a heart determined to keep your commandments, your decrees, your statutes; may he practise them all, and build this palace I have prepared for you.’

29:20 Then David said to the whole assembly, ‘Bless now Yahweh your God!’ And the whole assembly blessed Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, and went on their knees to do homage to Yahweh and to the king.

The accession of Solomon and the end of the reign of David

29:21 On the day following this, the Israelites offered sacrifices and holocausts to Yahweh: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs with their libations, as well as many sacrifices for the whole of Israel.

29:22 They ate and drank that day in Yahweh’s presence with great joy. Then having made Solomon son of David their second king, they anointed him leader in the name of Yahweh, and anointed Zadok as priest.

29:23 Solomon took his seat on the throne of Yahweh, to reign in succession to David his father. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.

29:24 All the officials, all the champions, and even all the sons of King David, pledged allegiance to King Solomon.

29:25 Yahweh brought Solomon’s greatness to its height in the sight of all Israel, and gave him a reign of such splendour as none that had reigned over Israel before him had ever known.

29:26 David son of Jesse had reigned over the whole of Israel.

29:27 His reign over Israel had lasted forty years; he had reigned in Hebron for seven years, and in Jerusalem for thirty-three.

29:28 He died in happy old age, with his fill of days, of riches, of honour. Then his son Solomon succeeded him.

29:29 The history of King David, from first to last, is not all this recorded in the Annals of Samuel the seer, the Annals of Nathan the prophet, and the Annals of Gad the seer,

29:30 with his entire reign, his prowess, and the turns of fortune that came to him and to Israel and to all the kingdoms of the other countries?